Wang Xiangu (pinglun.eastday.com):

Is Tsinghua really shortening the gap between itself and top Western universities by waiving written examinations for international students? Many Chinese students studying in Western universities say these schools require applicants to take strict written examinations aside from passing language proficiency examinations.

Is it for fairness? Look at the millions of domestic students across the nation who come from underdeveloped regions but have to take the same test as others who’ve grown up in areas with much better education conditions. While the unfairness facing domestic students remains unresolved, Tsinghua is turning its attention to making admission fairer for international students. No wonder the public is griping about the university discriminating against domestic students.

We know that Tsinghua yearns to make itself a world-class university, but it should understand that recruiting a certain number of international students will not necessarily enable the university to achieve that goal. Higher learning institutions that are truly world-class achieve that status by virtue of their academic competence, rather than simply by attracting international students.

If Tsinghua is serious about becoming a top-level university, it should focus on strengthening itself academically. Lowering the threshold for international students not only incurs complaints from domestic students and their parents, but could also lead to less qualified international students gaining admission.